Shoulder pad extension for gunstock



' Oct. 23, 1956 B. ALEXANDER 2,767,500

SHOULDER PAD EXTENSION FOR GUNSTOCK Filed April 10, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Q 7 F/G- i.

. INVENTOR. an new 4. n1. EXA N051?) Oct. 23,1956 B. L. ALEXANDER 2,767,500

SHOULDER PAD EXTENSION FOR GUNSTOCK Filed April 10, 195.3" 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 40 FIG. 6.

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United States Patent SHOULDER PAD EXTENSION FOR GUNST OCK Belden L. Alexander, Lava Hot Springs, Idaho, assignor of one-third to George Cheney, Lava Hot Springs, Idaho Application April 10, 1953, Serial No. 347,930

2 Claims. (CI. 42-74) This invention relates to shoulder pad extensions for gunstocks and more particularly to a resilient shoulder pad extension of openwork construction which enhances the appearance of a gunstock as well as providing a resilient recoil cushion.

It is among the objects of the invention to prov de an improved shoulder pad extension for a gunstock wh ch can be easily applied to the butt end of a gunstock w th no material modification of the stock construction; which can be formed of a readily moldable, resilient material,

such as a synthetic resin plastic material or a synthetic rubber material; which will effectively cushion the recoil shock of the associated gun when the gun is fired from the shoulder; which is of light Weight, openwork construction, and greatly enhances the appearance of a gunstock on which it is mounted; and which 18 simple and durable in construction, economical to manufacture, easy to install, and efiective in use.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following description and the appended claims in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational View of a fragmentary portion of a gunstock with a shoulder pad extension lllustrative of the invention operatively mounted thereon;

Figure 2 is an end elevational view of the right-hand end of the stock and extension assembly, as illustrated 1n Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the stock and extension assembly illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary cross sectional view on the line 44 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a side elevational view similar to Figure 1 showing a somewhat modified form of gunstock extensron;

Figure 6 is an end elevational view of the stock and extension assembly illustrated in Figure 5 looking at the right-hand end of the assembly as illustrated in Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a side elevational View similar to Figure 5 showing a still further modified form of extension;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary side elevational view similar to Figures 5 and 7 showing a still diiferentform of the extension; and

Figure 9 is a side elevational view similar to Figures 5, 7 and 8 showing yet another form of an extension illustrative of the invention.

With continued reference to the drawings, the gunstock, generally indicated at 10, is of well known shape and construction, and has a top or comb edge 11, a bottom edge 12 and a flat butt end 13. The gunstock is of somewhat elliptical or ovoid transverse cross sectional shape and is usually formed of a suitable hard wood material. 1

The shoulder pad extension, generally indicated at 15, comprises a plate portion 16 disposed in spaced and substantially parallel relationship to the butt end 13 of the gunstock and having a shape and size in plan, as iljacent the butt end 13 of the gunstock and are disposed 2,767,500 Patented Get. 23, 1956 lustrated in Figure 2, corresponding to the size and shape of the butt end 13 of the gunstock and longitudinally curved fingers 17 and .18, each joined at one end to the plate portion 16 at locations spaced apart along the plate portion, extend from the side of the plate portion adbetween the plate portion and the gunstock. The plate portion 16 and the fingers 17 and 18 are all formed unitarily of a resilient and easily moldable material, such as a synthetic resin plastic, and the fingers 17 and 18 which are longitudinally curved to a rounded hook shape, resiliently resist movement of the plate portion 16 toward the butt end 13 of the gunstock and the plate portion 16, itself, is resiliently bendable longitudinally thereof, so that the extension provides a resilient cushion on the butt end of the gunstock which is fully eifective to cushion the recoil of the gun when the gun is fired from the shoulder.

The shoulder cushion extension comprises essentially the plate 16, the fingers 17 and 18, and suitable means attaching the plate and finger structure to the gunstock, so that this structure overlies the butt end of the stock. Various means are illustrated, however, for attaching the plate and finger structure to the gunstock, and in the form of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive, a butt plate 20, preferably of the same material as the plate and finger structure, is mounted on the butt end 13 of the gunstock and secured thereon by suitable means, such as the screws 21 and 22 extending through shouldered apertures in the plate 20 and threaded into the butt end of the stock with their heads bearing against the shoulders in the corresponding apertures in the plate 211. The plate 26 has its side surfaces flush with the corresponding side surfaces of the stock and has at its end aligned with the top or comb edge 11 of the stock,

an extension 24 projecting longitudinally from the butt end of the stock and provided with a centrally disposed notch 25.

The plate portion 16 is provided at its end adjacent the upper edge of the gunstock with a tongue 26 which is received in the notch 25 in the butt plate extension 24, and the extension 24 and tongue 26 are provided with registering apertures which receive a pivot pin 27 which pivotally connects the plate and finger structure to the butt plate at the end of the butt plate adjacent the top 1 or comb edge of the stock. The shape of the tongue 26 and of the notch 25 is such that the portions of the fingers 17 and 18 remote from the plate portion 16 are held substantially in engagement with the outer surface of the butt plate 20, and the plate portion 16 cannot move away from the butt plate 20 beyond this position, but can move toward the butt plate 20 when the fingers 17 and 18 are resiliently distorted by the force of the recoil of the gun acting between the butt plate and the plate portion 16 which is adapted to rest against the shoulder of the person firing the gun.

In the form illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive, the finger 17 extends from the side of the plate portion 16 adjacent the butt plate 20 at a location spaced from the tongue 26 and has its portion joined to the plate 16 inclined in a direction away from the tongue 26 and toward the butt plate 20 and its remaining portion arcuately curved between the butt plate 20 and the plate portion 16. The tongue 18 extends from the end of the plate portion 16 remote from the tongue 16 and is inwardly curved tov lie between the plate portion 16 and the butt plate 26. The portions of the fingers 17 and 18 near the distal ends. thereof underlie and are spaced from the adjacent surfaceof the plate portion 16, so that, as the plate portion 16 is. moved toward the butt plate 20, the portion 16 will engagethe distal end portions of the fingers 17 and 18 and the.

fingers will then exert an increased resilient force against movement of the plate portion 16 toward the butt plate 20 and the spring rate by which the extension resiliently cushions the recoil of the gun will gradually increase as the resilient cushioning structure is compressed in a manner to move the plate portion 16 constituting the shoulder pad toward the butt plate 20 on the butt end of the gunstock.

In the modified arrangement shown in Figures 5 and 6 the plate portion 30, corresponding to the plate portion 16, is integrally joined at its end adjacent the top or comb edge 11 of the stock to the corresponding end of the butt plate 31 corresponding to the butt plate 20, the hinge connection provided by the extension 24, notch 25, tongue 26 and pivot pin 27 being omitted in this form of the invention. The butt plate 13 is secured to the butt end of the gunstock by screws 32 and 33 corresponding to the screws 21 and 22, but as the structure including the plate portion 3t) and the finger portions 34 and 35, corresponding to the finger portions 17 and 18, are integrally joined to the butt plate 31, and cannot be moved away from the butt plate, apertures, as indicated at 36 and 37, are provided in the plate portion 30 in alignment with the screw receiving apertures in the butt plate 31 and apertures 38 and 39 are provided in the fingers 34 and 35 respectively, in alignment with the corresponding apertures 36 and 37 in the plate portion 30. The apertures 36, 37, 38 and 39 are of a size to permit the heads of the screws 32 and 33 to pass therethrough, whereas the apertures in the butt plate 31 are of a size corresponding to the shanks of the screws and are counterbored or countersunk to receive the screw heads, so that the screw heads engage the butt plate and secure the butt plate firmly on the butt end of the gunstock.

It will also be noted that in the form of the invention shown in Figures 5 and 6, the fingers 34 and 35 both extend from their proximal to their distal ends in a direction toward the end of the plate portion 30 joined by the bridging portion 44 of the structure to the end of the butt plate 31 at the upper edge of the gunstock, so that in this form of the invention the fingers are both curved from the plate portion 30 in the same direction rather than in opposite directions, as illustrated in the form of the invention shown in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive.

The form of the invention shown in Figure 7 is the same as that shown in Figures 5 and 6, and described above, except that in the arrangement shown in Figure 7 the butt plate 31 is omitted entirely as are the screw receiving apertures in the plate portion 30 and the fingers 34 and 35 and the bridge portion 40 is extended, as indicated at 41, to overlap the upper edge portion of the stock and is received in a recess provided in the upper edge portion of the stock. The bridge extension 41 is provided with screw receiving apertures spaced apart longitudinally thereof, and the screws 42 and 43 extend, one through each of these apertures, and are threaded into the gunstock to secure the shoulder pad extension onto the gunstock. In this case, the fingers 34 and 35 bear directly, intermediate their length, against the butt end of the gunstock 10, and resiliently support the plate portion 30 of the shoulder pad extension, in spaced and substantially parallel relationship to the butt end of the gunstock.

In the arrangement shown in Figure 8, a butt plate 45 is secured onto the butt end of the gunstock by the screws 46 and 47 and a plate portion 48 is disposed in spaced and substantially parallel relationship to the butt plate 45. Bridge portions 49 and 50 extend from the respectively opposite ends of the plate portion 48 to the corresponding ends of the butt plate 45 integrally joining the plate portion 48 to the butt plate, and the fingers 51 and 52 extend from the plate portion 43 near the mid-length location of this plate portion and are curved toward the corresponding bridge portions 49 and 50 in respectively opposite directions relative to each other.

This arrangement constitutes a unitary construction of greater rigidity than the forms of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 7 inclusive, and previously described, and would be used on a gun where a stiff recoil cushion is desired.

In the arrangement shown in Figure 8, the plate portion 48 is provided with apertures 53 and 54 aligned with the screw receiving apertures in the butt plate 45 in which the screws 46 and 47 are seated, and the fingers 51 and 52 are provided with corresponding apertures 55 and 56, the apertures in the plate portion 48 and in the fingers 51 and 52 being of sufficient size for the passage of the screw heads therethrough.

In the arrangement shown in Figure 9, the construction is the same as that shown in Figure 8, and described above, except that the butt plate 45 is omitted and the bridge portions 49 and 50 at the top and bottom ends of the plate portion 48 are extended, as indicated at and 61 respectively, and received in recesses provided in the top and bottom edges of the gunstock 10. The top extension 60 is secured to the gunstock by the screws 62 and 63 extending through apertures in the extension 60 at locations spaced apart longitudinally of this extension and threaded into the gunstock, and the extension 61 is secured to the gunstock by the screws 64 and 65 extending through apertures spaced apart longitudinally of the extension 61 and threaded into the material of the gunstock.

The arrangement illustrated in Figure 9 also provides a rigid or stifi? recoil cushion for the gunstock and one which is of progressively increasing stiffness as the recoil shock of the gun progressively compresses the cushioning structure including the plate portion 4-8 and the fingers 51 and 52.

While minor variations in the construction of the shoulder pad extension have been illustrated and hereinabove described, it is apparent that the essential structure is the same in all cases, and that the extension provides an effective, resilient cushion at the butt end of the gunstock to absorb recoil shocks and is of attractive appearance, greatly enhancing the appearance of the gunstock to which it is applied. It is contemplated that the extension will be formed of a suitable synthetic resin plastic material and may be provided in various colors and ornamented in any desired manner to further improve its appearance and the appearance of the assembly including the extension and the associated gunstock.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all regards as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

1. In a firearm the combination, with a gunstock having a butt end, of a shoulder pad comprising: a plate having an outer configuration approximating that of said end, the plate being spaced from and being generally parallel to said end; means extending from at least one end of the plate toward and connected to said butt end; and at least one arcuately bowed spring finger located in the space between said butt end and the plate to provide a resilient cushion on said butt end, said finger being bowed in the direction of said butt end with the intermediate portion of the finger forming the crest of the arch thereof and extending close to said butt end, the other end of the finger terminating in a hook-like formation and being spaced in the untensioned condition of the finger from the plate a distance greater than the distance between said crest and the butt end of the gunstock whereby, on recoil of the firearm tending to produce relative movement of the plate and gunstock toward each other, the intermediate portion of the spring finger will first engage the butt end of the gunstock to cause that part of the length of the finger extending between the crest of the arch thereof and the first named end of the finger to resiliently resist said relative movement of the plate and gunstock and second, on further movement of the plate and gunstock toward each other the hook-like portion will engage the plate so that the part of the finger length between said crest and the secondnamed end of the finger will be added to the first named part as means efiective to resiliently yielda bly resist the relative movement of the plate and gunstock toward each other.

2. In a firearm the combination, with a gunstock having a butt end, of a shoulder pad comprising: a plate having an outer configuration approximating that of said end, the plate being spaced from and being generally parallel to said end; means extending from at least one end of the plate toward and connected to said butt end; and at least one arcuately bowed spring finger located in the space between said butt end and the plate to provide a resilient cushion on said butt end, said finger being bowed in the direction of said butt end with the intermediate portion of the finger forming the crest of the arch thereof and extending close to said butt end, the other end of the finger terminating in a hook-like formation and being spaced in the untensioned condition of the finger from the plate a distance greater than the distance between said crest and the butt end of the gunstock whereby, on recoil of the firearm tending to produce relative movement of the plate and gunstock toward each other, the intermediate portion of the spring finger will first engage the butt end of the gunstock 6 to cause that part of the length of the finger extending between the crest of the arch thereof and the first named end of the finger to resiliently resist said relative movement of the plate and gunstock and second, on further movement of the plate and gunstock toward each other the hook-like portion will engage the plate so that the part of the finger length between said crest and the second named end of the finger will be added to the first named part as means eifective to resiliently yieldably resist the relative movement of the plate and gunstock toward each other, said plate and spring finger being integrally molded as a single piece of resilient material, thus to constitute the plate as means further resiliently, yieldably resisting the relative movement of the plate and gunstock toward each other following engagement of the second named end of the finger against the plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain 1892 

